Wedding

Congratulations to Chelsea, the groom and the Clintons on their wedding. What I cannot understand are those who say it is wrong to spend so much money in these difficult times. If only all those who have would go out and spend $5 million on events, it would surely stimulate the economy. Putting money into circulation is the way to go. Abe Hertzberg, Sunrise

Tourism bureaus in Broward and Palm Beach counties are making a bigger push for destination weddings. To help attract more of them, the bureaus are offering free wedding services to brides-to-be looking to celebrate their special day away from home. In Broward, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau also is stepping up marketing efforts at select bridal and wedding shows and setting more aggressive goals for its destination weddings business. Its goal for 2014 was to book 1,500 room nights in Broward, but the bureau's wedding specialist has assisted with 147 weddings this year and booked 2,468 room nights.

Brides and grooms: You could score free beachside nuptials in Boynton Beach and walk down the aisle, along the Atlantic, in wedded bliss. The city will partner with local businesses to give a Boynton Beach couple a free "Wedding on the Waterway" either Feb. 4 or 5 at Oceanfront Park, 6415 N. Ocean Blvd. Applicants must live within the city limits and submit an application and a 350-word essay. Applications also can be mailed. "We're looking for a great love story, perhaps even a specific need," said Virginia Shea, city recreation division senior manager.

POMPANO BEACH - After serving four years in the Army during World War II, Dan Thomas had only $500 to his name. The then-23-year-old used that money to give his high school sweetheart a wedding they could cherish forever, including a ring for her and a ring for him. Years later, Thomas would replace his wife's ring; however, the same gold band from their 1944 wedding remained on his finger, untouched, for 70 years. That is, until a robber crept into the 93-year-old's bedroom last month and stole the ring, which acts as a reminder of his wife, who died seven years ago. "I got robbed," Thomas said.

Cindy Almanzar and Maykel Rivera were not sure how their wedding would turn out after a film crew from an MTV Latin channel got involved. The Tampa couple says the thought of being on TV put added pressure on them but was worth it. "The cameras slowed everything down a lot, but it worked out for a wonderful experience," says Cindy. The November wedding of Cindy, 24, and Maykel, 30, is featured on tonight's "Quiero Mi Boda," a new reality show on MTV Tr3s. It airs at 9 p.m. Mondays and features couples from different cultures and backgrounds who sometimes struggle to get through a wedding.

Following the storm that erupted two weeks ago in Israel surrounding the issue of wedding licenses for rabbis, MK Uri Orbach (Habayit Hayehudi) proposed a new bill to address one of the core complaints in the controversy. Orbach's bill, submitted last week, would make it illegal for a rabbi employed by a local religious council to accept money or any other form of remuneration when performing a wedding for someone who lives in the city where he works. "Do MKs get money for drafting legislation?"

Gay actress Sara Felder showed her wit and reverence for Jewish tradition in the funny "June Bride" held recently at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach as part of the first Out Of The Tropics Festival in honor of the South Florida Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual community. "Sara brought in much of her empathy of Jewish tradition to bring a cultural dimension to our festival that was demonstrated by all the laughter heard in the audience," said Out Of The Tropics artistic director Robert Rosenberg.

Three generations of Bushes descended on a Brickell Avenue church Saturday for a wedding and Memorial Day weekend family reunion of the Republican Party's most enduring dynasty. The two former presidents -- George Herbert Walker Bush and George W. Bush -- were on hand, along with the former First Ladies to watch as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's youngest son, John Ellis Bush Jr., 26, known as "Jebby," married Coral Gables resident Sandra Algudady. Three generations of Bushes descended on a Brickell Avenue church Saturday for a wedding and Memorial Day weekend family reunion of the Republican Party's most enduring dynasty.

Gearing up for your wedding day can be overwhelming. While it's easy to remember the big things - your gown, the rings, the groom - it's the little things that can cause the biggest disasters. Hair & makeup Although some brides have a makeup artist on-call during the day, it's not a necessity. Simply pack the essentials, starting with the most important: face powder or foundation, lip balm or lipstick, blush, waterproof mascara, and a mirror compact. For hair touchups, pack bobby pins, a brush and comb, and other products to keep your style intact.

It may be the wedding of the century: Zack's and Kelly's of Saved by the Bell, the show that won't die. Even though SBTB: The College Years was canceled by NBC in May, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas is in production as a two-hour TV movie. Mark Paul-Gosselaar and Tiffani Amber Thiessen will return as their characters get hitched, which should happen in October. JUST ASK WENDI DEAR WENDI: I am in two cliques. "X" is popular, exciting and also rude. They love to make fun of others.

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union tied the knot Saturday at Chateau Artisan, a moated castle in Miami-Dade, and about 200 guests were expected to attend the wedding, including Wade's basketball pals, according to reports. TMZ.com has a photo gallery of the castle . GossipExtra.com had obtained a copy of the wedding schedule , and also is reporting that musician John Legend was expected to serenade the couple . The couple's wedding invitation listed several rules aimed at keeping details and photos of the event from ending up on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TMZ. The invitation first appeared on TMZ .

For Anthony Licata, the honeymoon is over. In fact, it never even began. His intention was to get married last weekend, then sail away on a 10-day honeymoon cruise around Italy and Greece. Federal prosecutors, however, had less blissful plans. Just three days before the wedding, authorities swooped in and arrested the South Florida man on federal charges that he operated at least three pill mills in the Atlanta area. Investigators allege that Licata, 29, who lived in Plantation and Fort Lauderdale, directed operations at the Georgia clinics, issuing orders by phone from his home.

Tourism leaders in Broward and Palm Beach counties are exploring ways to promote same-sex weddings in next year's marketing plans in the event it's legalized soon. If the same-sex marriage ban is lifted statewide in coming months, tourism officials say they want to be ready to spread the word to the LGBT community that they can now legally tie the knot in the destination. "We want to be literally ready to go," said Richard Gray, managing director LGBT market for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

A small Boca Raton Jewish education center, reaching out to unaffiliated students at Florida Atlantic University, has accomplished an unexpected milestone over the past year: eight student weddings, with each couple making a commitment to an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. For the past five years, Rabbi Moshe Goldstein of the Jewish Education Center of South Florida has been connecting FAU students with Orthodox Jewish life by inviting them to the center for Sabbath dinner, study sessions and weekends of observance and learning.

The suspect and victim in a stabbing at a wedding Saturday in Hollywood are likely related, police say. Police could not specify the relationship between the suspect and the 31-year-old victim but said there is evidence to suggest "a familial bond. " About 200 people were gathered Saturday evening on the outdoor terrace of the Hillcrest Golf and Country Club when one guest stabbed another in the middle of the ceremony. "The gentleman who stabbed the other ran through the building, got into his car and took off," said Lewis Rissman, general manager of the club, 4600 Hillcrest Drive.

Love them, or not, Gloria Estefan and Pitbull are known as ambassadors for South Florida. The same can be said of tennis star Chris Evert and businessman H. Wayne Huizenga, other South Floridians who have done well. But we wanted to celebrate personalities who exude our spirit despite not having grown up or even officially living here. These "honorary South Floridians" are folks who have become associated with the region in some way. We're looking at you, JLo. You'd think Jennifer Lopez lives here with all her appearances.

Barbra Streisand's wedding is getting rave reviews. Guests told People magazine in New York that the ceremony uniting Streisand and actor James Brolin was the most romantic wedding they had ever seen. Strolling violinists serenaded guests at Streisand's Malibu, Calif., estate, composer Marvin Hamlisch conducted a 16-piece orchestra, and the air was filled with the fragrance of 200 lilies of the valley, 500 gardenias, 2,500 stephanotis blossoms and 4,000 roses. Guests were greeted with Irish pipe music upon arrival, and sampled lemonade, sushi and ricotta-filled blintzes.

Dear Greg: l hired Mosaic Studios in Deerfield Beach to take my engagement pictures, wedding pictures, and to make me a wedding album. They took the wedding photos and were very professional. I received the pictures but have yet to receive the wedding album. My wedding was in June 2010. After countless promises and e-mails from Cary Gottlieb, the owner of Mosaic Studios and also the photographer, I have hit my limit . I don't know where else to turn. ANDREINA OTTMAN ORLANDO Dear Andreina: Turn this way and say "cheese!"

The Airport Hilton, a landmark for nearly three decades at Interstate 95 and Griffin Road in Fort Lauderdale, is slated for destruction. And it seemed the dress Lisa Bade of Minnesota wore to her son's wedding, left hanging in the closet of Room 406, would be included among the rubble. Until an airport worker and maintenance man joined forces to rescue the dress, and other wedding attire, and ship it back to Bade. "I was extremely relieved and elated," said Bade, 50. "I didn't think I was going to see it again.

When it comes to high school musicals, "The Wedding Singer" will reprise a 2006 show based on the 1998 movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Billed as "matrimonial mishaps," Spanish River High School has three performances this weekend in the school's Countess de Hoernle Theatre, a spring ritual in most of the area high schools. The cast had a tech rehearsal just back from spring break, testing out the microphones and sound and lighting. So some seniors in the cast had a chance to sit in the audience seats and talk about their last show and inevitable turnover.